Worst Years Growing-Up: Junior High-Middle School?

I got picked on, beat-up, identity issues, etc… Some of the challenges many of us faced growing-up. How did you deal with it? Fortunately, I just got picked on, spat-on, teased because I looked “different” (e.g. thus suffered with my identity), but not “beat-up”. I was very much small in height compared with my peers at my school (Battle Creek) , so I never even tried to “fight-back” with the peers that picked on me. Why did I get picked on? Not sure most of the time, but some were because I was a very studious “nerdy” looking Asian geek. They knew I did my homework, so one of them asked me to do his homework. I said “no” because I didn’t want to be used, so he pushed me against the lockers. Fortunately, one of my tall friends stuck-up for me, but he ended up getting pushed too. During this time, one of the teachers that happened to witness this intervened. This doesn’t always happen to many! Maybe God was watching me already..

Chet McDoniel Tells a Story About a Bully Who Wanted to Fight

What about peer pressure? Ever got pressured to smoke or do drugs? I was fortunate to be strong-willed enough to say “no” to drugs or smoking. I guess I remember there was a speaker that came to our classroom with a hole in his throat, which freaked-scared me growing-up. Thus, I never ever smoked and will never even try it in the future!

.Anyways, some friends and I were talking about these “traumatic years” during this past weekend Men’s Retreat as the “worst years”. How about for you? Worst or Glory years? How can we (e.g. adults, parents, mentors, etc..) help those in junior high-middle school learn from our experience to get through these years?

more..
http://youth.goodnewseverybody.com/